Champions among Legends
by AzureSonata
Summary: As unlikely friendships blossom within the League of Legends, a greater evil approaches that threatens to control everything in Runeterra. As history and intentions turn into lies, the truth of the League becomes apparent and war will once again overtake the lands. Expect a whole ton of romance, adventure, and a whole ton of political struggles. Reviews are welcome.
1. Chapter 1

****Before we begin, I would like to thank everyone for reading this! This is my first fanfiction, and hopefully I may be able to get better as time progresses! I'd like to talk about my inspirations for the story, but I'll wait until the next chapter to do so. But one of the main reasons on writing this story is because I just wanted to vent out my imagination! So here it is, chapter one! Reviews are dearly welcome! Story may seem slow right now, but it'll pick up later, I promise.**

****EDIT: Realized that there was no actual bridge between this chapter and the next, so I added that. Minor tweaks that may or may not seem distinguishable. Thanks for the reviews!**

Champions among Legends Chapter One: The Chronicles of the Cobalt Knight

The Institute library was mostly empty, save for a few weary champions seeking refuge in texts and a certain melancholic exile. The world of text, knowledge, and history was no match for the brutal glamour of the Fields of Justice that the Institute provided on the side. For Riven, the Exile, the library was her perfect hiding place. Nobody bothered her, nor could they find her for that matter, in this forgotten sanctuary, but there was a particular section in the library that the Exile found true stasis, a feeling she only felt during her glory days in Noxus' Army.

The Exile was in her usual aisle, browsing the shelves for a book she had never read. The librarian often kept tabs on the girl, unable to stomach the fact that another champion other than Ezreal graced this ignored library. Eventually, the Exile settled for one of the newer books that she had read numerous times before; The Chronicles of the Cobalt Knight. It was fictional story, but the Exile loved it nonetheless. She wrapped her arms around the book and pulled it close to her chest as if it was a fond baby. The physical book meant nothing to her, but she could almost feel the text inside's pulsing warmth. The Exile quickly sat on a chair and began to reminisce in the story she had held so closely to her bosom.

Time whisked by as the Exile indulged herself in the Cobalt Knight's tale; all the while she had a sincere smile on her lips, a sight that not a single summoner ever saw. There was perhaps only one person who ever saw this girl smile ever since she had died on the battlefields; the librarian.

"Reading the tales again, Riven?" The librarian asked with a smile. She was an old shrunken lady, just a minion and a half tall. Her wrinkles explored every region on her skin, but these mountainous lanes only accentuated the kindness on the woman's face. The librarian's eyes were always squinted, or perhaps she was blind and they were always closed, and maybe those tiny circle glasses were for outward appearances. Nonetheless, the librarian looked exactly the part, perhaps the institute has willed it.

Riven's eyes glanced up to meet the librarian's face, her smile soon returning to its remorseful and lost tone. "Yes. It's my favourite." The Exile hesitantly shut the book, her fingers caressing the hard cover as it gently closed.

"I can tell. I apologize that we haven't been getting any new books for you to read. No one writes these stories anymore." The librarian said remorsefully.

"It's fine." Riven shut her eye. "Nobody writes these stories because nobody believes in these fairy tales anymore" The Exile croaked.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. There are a few gentlemen out there that are still filled with the Cobalt Knight's spirit" The librarian chimed. The old lady produced a tiny step ladder from beneath Riven's chair, perhaps from nothing and climbed it to reach Riven's sitting height. "He has just not found you yet, or perhaps you do not want to find him?" The librarian pinched the Exile's cheeks intimately as grandmothers will if their granddaughters were down, but the Exile was not bothered or phased.

"Whad chu meen?"

The librarian paused, losing her grip on the Exile's thick copper cheeks. "… Perhaps it is better that you do not know." The old lady's hand returned to her side as she descended down the step ladder which magically reclined back underneath the chair as she waddled back the information kiosk. "I'm sorry I wasted your time, dear. Keep that book as a present." The librarian did not look back at the Exile who assumed she had just been dismissed from the library. She gripped the spine of the library as she held the book close to her bosoms once more and left the library. But before she left, the librarian appeared before her once more.

"Try not to read too in-depth, dear. It's a children's book. It's more whimsical if you don't."

The Exile nodded in reply.

"Good. Now be off. Being in this library does ill for your skin." The librarian chuckled as it waddled back to her desk once more.

* * *

Riven was a very isolated woman, not because she was hated or anything. If anyone hated her, it would be herself. The Exile hastily made way to her chambers, avoiding any summoners or champions that wished to engage in conversation; there was always that one person that thought she was a heroine in a galge. She collapsed on her bed as she pushed her gift above her, a bit in disbelief that it was given to her for free. She pushed the book high in the air to see its physical form in all its glory.

The Exile pulled herself up into an upright sitting position with the book on her lap. She stamped her feet at the side of her bed and a dim white light began to paint the surface of her chambers a faded hue. The silver haired Exile opened book letting the familiar text bask under the enchanting light.

As the Exile's fingers brushed the edges of the page she teased herself from seeing images and words that her mind has already engraved into memory. With each flip of the page, a plethora of text seemed to leap into her vision, like a Rengar prowling from a bush to slay a mortally wounded Teemo with a bounty.

Soon, the Exile reached her favourite part. Now that she was alone in her room, and possibly away from prying eyes and ears, the eased aura compelled her to read the passage aloud.

"For the King!" The Exile monotonously cheered as her eyes dragged across the golden tinted page. "The Crimson Knight roared with his blade thrust high and hurled himself towards the fiendish Blood Assassin. Engaged in a waltz to the death with the clashing of blades as their tune, the Knight and Assassin fought for hours, both proved powerful and unrelenting. Waves of sparks flew from each clash, further igniting their fervor." The Exile paused, admiring the spectacle of azure and scarlet ink that masterfully formed to create a chivalrous blue knight and a crude red assassin. She turned the page.

"But the display of might did not last forever. The Cobalt Knight managed to out maneuver the Assassin, finding the perfect chink in her deadly swordplay, and lunged for it. Off guard, the Assassin managed to block the blow, but in return the Cobalt Knight began twirling his blade around him becoming a makeshift cyclone. Overwhelmed by the twirling display of power, the Assassin succumbed to defeat."

"The Assassin lowered her head in shame, expecting the Cobalt Knight's justice to claim her head, but there was no response. Dumbfounded, the Assassin asked why. 'I admire your ability. A person of your caliber should not be weighed by death, only convictions.' He said calmly, but the Assassin still failed to see his way. 'Then I will kill again.' The Assassin spat, attempting to mock this kind judgment, but the Cobalt Knight remained undeterred and stubborn. 'Then I will stop you again.' The Assassin looked at the knight once more with her brows tilted and blinked away." The Exile, when she read it first, too had the same expression the Crimson Assassin held when she was given mercy, but the Exile knew full well why and she relished the reason. She turned the page, revealing a very drafted image of the Cobalt Knight decorated with white and golden ink. The person itself was quite familiar, but the repeated strokes of black ink obscured the figure.

"A soldier approached the Cobalt Knight, astonished by his mercy. 'Why did you let that criminal escape, sir?' The soldier asked. 'I'd like to believe everyone is good, but that simply isn't true. But one day I hope that everyone will turn to the right side, and I will not let death deny them that right." The Cobalt Knight pushed his blade into the ground to help support him upright. 'You may think me childish, but I believe that is the proper way for…" Riven paused, almost betraying Noxus for a moment. During this instance of the story she began to role play as the Cobalt Knight, but she could not completely get into the Cobalt Knight's shoes for he served Demacia. "…for Noxus to prosper." She felt a tang of betrayal to her idol, but even then she could not bring herself to betray Noxus again.

Riven recoiled away from the book, shutting it close in the process, as she pressed her eyelids together. Memories began to fill her mind and she could feel herself being surrounded in a thick itchy fog. The fog crawled into her skin, begging for alleviation to the point where she wanted to rip her flesh off. Her fingers spasmed as her arms desperately tried to control her body. She bit down on her lip, hoping that the pain would stab her conscious, but it found no retribution. Her fingers began to dig into what flesh it crawled onto, hoping that her mind would drag, but like her now bleeding lips, proved to be useless.

"What is broken can be reforge." These words rang in her head, swiftly calming her mind almost to the point of losing it. Her being of self began to fade; she was being summoned. She touched her lips. The blood has dried and disappeared. Was this state of madness just a hallucination of the mind? She clenched her hand into a fist to reveal the whites on her knuckles. It doesn't matter, but she could no longer afford to purchase more into her painful regrets.

Instinctively, Riven headed towards the summoning platform where her summoner beckoned for her services. The Exile, although, still had moderate control of her body, and favoured the loner's path attempting to avoid the more diluted hallways. But just as she thought she wouldn't find someone...

"Ah!" Riven fell back, tossing the book she had forgotten she held clutched in her possession to the side. "I-I'm sorry." She mumbled as her mind was a bit in a daze. Her attention lied in her mistake in absentmindedly bringing this children's book. Her fingers fumbled as it attempt to shield the cover, but the person she collided to had already seen its content; and it just happened to be her...

"Riven? No no no! It's fine!" The blonde scrambled onto her feet, exposing the intricate colours of pale gray and bright sun trims. It was Lux, some of the last people she wanted to run into. "I actually came to pick you up. We'll be on the same sides of the Field this time." Now she was on her team. Her mind what just in shambles and now she'd have to fend off one of the happiest girl in the League. The Lady of Luminosity offered her hand to help the Exile up but what was returned was a gentle push away. But the Lady was not the kind of girl that would stay kindly being left in the dust. Despite faction rivalry, the Lady sincerely wanted to befriend everyone. Her eyes darted around, surveilling for anything that could be used for small talk.

That torch on the wall? No... she already used that.

How about the weather? No, it was crap.

_C'mon, Lux... There's gotta be a good conversational piece somewhere!_ Finally, her eyes nested on a book covered by leather dyed blue with yellow trims. Her eyes widen. She had never imagined the Exile to read, especially to read this tale. "That book..."

Riven's heart and her being had leapt. Did she see what it was? She quickly stashed the in the back of her waist where it lay snug between her spine and her leather cincher. She dismissed Lux's words and began to head towards the summoning platform, but Lux would not let her go alone.

Lux continued, despite Riven's attempt to ignore. "Ya' know, I've read that book too. It was a pretty nice change of pace." No response. The two continued down the ever expanding hallways. The length of passage just seeming to increase with each failed conversation. "Uh... well... a friend of the family wrote that book, actually!" The Exile's brows rose, slightly intrigued, but she couldn't let Lux know that, but she knew.

"I-is that so?" A slip of the tongue, Riven had just exposed the hook in her mouth. Lux did not hesitate to reel her in.

"Yes! In fact, I helped write a bit of the stories!" Lux moved in closer to Riven's side almost a finger length away. "Let's see... um. I wrote the beginning! T-that's all I know that made it in, ha ha."

Riven seemed to have realized what she had just called upon herself. She only wished that she remained quiet, but she couldn't ignore Lux's comments. Despite trailing away from Lux as much as possible, for once she enjoyed someone else's company. She even giggled, despite squishing it between pressed lips.

"But you know... its really weird writing a story about Garen." Lux sighed, unknowingly shocking Riven's recovering mind.

"... What?" Riven's whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"Huh? What do you mean, 'what?' You didn't know? Who else stalks the bush like Rengar?"

Riven's head felt the pressure of obvious truth condemning the denial that once shielded her mind. But her heart began to increase in weight. She could feel her chest drag as it continued to conflict with the sudden revelations.

"I-is there something wrong?" Lux asked in perhaps the most sincere way possible. The Lady of Luminosity almost regretted talking to the Exile if it would conflict her this much. This girl was too kind for her own good. "I-I'm sorry I said anything. L-let's hurry." Lux never said anything after that. She knew that if a Noxus such as the Exile marvelled at the glory of a Demacian hero would mean heresy. For someone like Riven who is already torn apart by her beliefs, to only add more to the scales that was ripping her will apart, Lux felt like there were no apologies suitable to say. The two remained quiet for the remainder of the trip and would not speak to each other during the match and after.

There was no way Garen could be the Cobalt Knight. The Cobalt Knight, in the Exile's heart, was a Noxian. Denial at it's finest.


	2. Chapter 2

****This chapter was a bit of hassle to make. For one, I had to write this up three times and when I finally finished, internet issues prevented me from posting. Nonetheless, it's finally here and as promised from the last chapter, my reasons to make this. I've had an interest with the lore of League for a long time, even when I never played the game a few years ago due to low specs on my old computer. Now that I played it, I've been getting into shipping certain characters and whatnot. What driven the story that has yet to be in sight is a bit of a cliché and I won't go in-depth with it until we get there. Whether or not you think the action is here, in my opinion it's not. I can probably say that the story will pick up when Darius or Katarina makes their appearance, which may or may not be the next one. I think I've been spending too much time building the relationships of the characters, but once all of the relationships have been established I can finally jump into some non-dialogue stuff.**

Champions among Legends Chapter Two: What is Broken

Riven stood in a black parallax, the realm between the Institute of War and Summoner's Rift where light only shined on her and the armaments around her. No one was unsure of the boundaries that defined this place but she wouldn't dare let curiosity figure it out.

Her muscles tensed as she was involuntarily touched by swift force of summoner's spells changing her outfit. Green Fabric crawled from her back and to her eyes before metal snakes wrapped around her body to define her armor. On the Rift, this was mere aesthetics, but she felt more at ease than she would with some of the other outfits that the Institute provided. Once the spell had finished assuming its form, Riven's form finally allowed itself to move freely.

Before Riven was comforted by the dark atmosphere around her, blue strands of light trickled from above with bright hoops to twirling about. _The match is starting…_ She told herself, preparing for the invasive force of a summoner willing her body. Her eyes squinted as the strands of lights became more and more overwelming. A loud buzzing noise infiltrated her senses, sweeping her nerves until everything stopped.

"60 seconds until minions spawn."

Riven's eyes opened to the swatches of green, red, and gray with a tiny bearded yordle below her holding a spectrum of potions. Her summoner wanted her to last. She placed the delicate vials at her side before her summoner urged her forwards.

"Who shall I fight, summoner?" Riven inquired, venturing up her usual lane with her shattered runic blade in tow.

"The Might of Demacia." A deep stern voice replied. His voice was quiet and almost came across as a whisper. But despite the voice's quite tenacity, Riven's heart lurched. Were Lux's words true? She had fought Garen countless times and never had her mind wavered as it did now. She must clear her mind; Garen could not be the Cobalt Knight.

"Minions have spawned."

Nearing the river, minions had already begun their way into lane. The Exile has been a champion long enough to know the mechanical line that the minions followed to see an imaginary line in their path finding. The tiny stubby things adorned with red robes, less-than-intimidating spikes, and an array of plastic looking clubs and staves finally reached the playing field and not a moment too soon Garen was in her sights. To the summoner, it was just Garen, an obstacle between herself and the tower but the Exile saw something tantalizing. The Might of Demacia was outlined with messy black ink and decorated with rich hues of blue and gold, a surreal mirage that taunted her shattered mind. "Riven, focus." The summoner implored sensing a tear in their mental bond.

"Right," Riven looked at Garen once more, thinning the ink that blinded her vision. It was Garen, a Demacian. Her Cobalt Knight was a Noxian.

The Exile poised her blade towards the Demacian's neck only for her grasp on the cold metallic handle dwindle as her doubt crippled her arm.

* * *

It was the height of the early game. Riven was empowered enough that the Institute passed enough power to cast the Blade of the Exile. It was at this point that Garen too was around the same power.

"Riven. It is time." The stern voice spoke in an elongated tone. He anticipated this moment dearly and spoke with strong relish. Perhaps he anticipated it a bit too much but it also seemed that Garen's summoner felt the same way.

"As you wish, summoner." Riven's voice wavered, but was still absolved to fight. She managed to convince herself that if she could do defeat Garen, she would not accept that he is the Cobalt Knight. It was a childish excuse, but it was the only thing that would set her free.

With no minions in sight and blades outstretched, every summoner's eyes fell on the top lane of the Rift to watch the events unfold. Riven's doubt still weighed down her movements as if she was carrying the weight of all her dead soldiers, but now she relied in her mind's desperate plight to sway her broken sword. She felt a valiant push propel her forwards as her muscles bolstered, giving her more momentum on the upswing of her blade. The Might of Demacia met the Exile's blade with his own, but the glow of the Runic Blade and the momentum provided more than enough to push him back. Her fists clenched the rusted handle as her spherical gauntlet bled green. The once broken blade looked as if it was glued together by green glowing glue, but to dismiss it as just that would spell your doom. The Might of Demacia would not be that man.

Riven was unrelenting with the series of strikes that followed. She flew through the battle field leaving no weakness with each swing. For a while, the conflict seemed to be one sided, but Garen had not yet made his play.

As Riven swung her blade downwards towards the ground, Garen was lifted in the air for a slight moment. Taking this opportunity to exempt her traitorous mind, she swung her blade to meet the falling Garen only to be responded with a fist from above. The Exile recoiled back, swinging her blade blindly hoping to hit something solid. The blade hit Garen's side but this time he was prepared. Courageously, he withstood the swing of the blade which shattered upon impact. Devastated, Riven lunged forwards, trying to find some ground, but to no avail. This time she was greeted with a jab to her abdomen; the metal plating did nothing to cushion the blow.

"For the King!" Riven's eyes widened as Garen thrust his blade in the air, letting it bask in the glory of battle before it was reprimanded in blood. The weight of the blade swung at the Exile who could flimsily blocked the blow with the broken blade. The Might of Demacia did not stun, but Riven stood in awe as her fairy tales unfolded before her.

In a carousel of cobalt and gold, Riven suffered from a flurry of swings of the Demacian's blade. Golden sparks burst upon each impact of the blade's return. Her summoner yelled, begging for her to flee, but he spoke to nothing.

The world of the Exile began to fade into pages of a story, the ground and trees being nothing but stories of the Cobalt Knight. Before her was her idol, her shining knight and she was the enemy.

Finally, the twirling barrage of swings relented. Riven could barely stand, impaling her sword in the flesh of soil to help prop her upright but it wasn't enough to continue the fight. She collapsed on her knee, but her eyes remained focus on the Might of Demacia waiting earnestly for the story to complete.

The Might of Demacia swung his body downwards, driving his blade into the battle trampled soil. Almost as if it was a grace, a spectrum of golden lights in the shape of an intricate sword dangled above the Exile. Normally at any confrontation of death, Riven would watch the alleviation of death sweep her life for a moment, but her eyes kept focus on the man whose blade has become part of the Rift.

It was certain now that Garen was her Cobalt Knight. Not a Noxian or a fairy tale. Riven broke several tears for now she can no longer run away from her fantasies. Even as her idol dispelled her life for an instance, something deep inside the Exile found what it has so desperately sought. The ideals she once lost had been found, and now her love for the Chronicles of the Cobalt Knight now rivaled her love for Noxus.

The brandished blade then thrust its being onto the Exile, banishing the doubt that once shrouded her mind, but instead what replaced it was a catastrophic wave that would tear the scales of right and wrong. For what was once broken was now shattered, dismembered, and mutilated, but the Exile did not care.

* * *

After the match, an utter defeat for the Exile's side, Riven walked away somewhat changed. When she entered the League, she had an aura of a lost puppy who had just abandoned its dead owner. Now, this lost puppy found someone who looked like its dead owner. To say that the Exile was ecstatic, however, was untrue, for this person had sworn to kill her previous owner. The copper skinned woman seemed more broken than when she first entered the Rift but no one seemed to notice, save for a guilty blonde.

Lux smiled momentarily as she met the Exile's wandering eyes, but almost immediately turned away; she knew that she had a hand in breaking the Exile. The Lady of Luminosity left summoning platform immediately, as too the Exile, but the relationship between the two was too awkward for post game banter. Both were not ready to confront each other just yet.

Riven felt a bit peckish after the events on Summoner's Rift and let her stomach guide her while her mind was deemed mentally unfit. Guided by the scents of rich fruits and meats, her stomach escorted her to the cafeteria where a ragtag of champions and summoners gorged themselves on anything edible. The pungent perfume of burps and farts repelled Riven to stay at the edge of the scene, not that she planned on eating with anyone. As if her attendance at the cafeteria was foretold by premonition, a tray with her usual food stuff was present at the pickup area.

Awkwardly, Riven scooped up the tray and scanned the room for an empty table, which was a difficult feat at this point of time. She must have looked up and down twice before giving up. The Exile sighed, wondering if she was permitted to eat in her chambers. Half way to the exit, however, she was stopped by a gargantuan gloved hand that gripped her shoulder. The Exile didn't bother giving the person the time of day and brushing it off without thinking twice but the hand reached out for her again.

"What do you want?" The Exile sighed. She titled her head slightly to meet the outlines of the figure. "A-ah…" It was Garen.

The Might of Demacia frowned, disappointed on the face Riven given him. "May I talk to you?"

The Exile wanted to leave. "No." Correction, she had to leave. She twisted her head to face the exit, taking long strides to escape the Might of Demacia while balancing the assortments of plates and utensils on her tray, but the Might of Demacia did not let up.

"Please. I must speak to you on behalf of my sister." The Exile could not meet the Might of Demacia's eyes, rather she's been avoiding it the best she could. She pulled the tray closer as if she was ashamed that she suffered from the imperfection of hunger. "It will be short, I promise. I have a table reserved."

"Who reserves tables in a cafeteria…?" Riven muttered, nervously pacing her eye back and forth from Garen and her tray. There was a slight tang in her chest that told her to stay, yet her mind told her not to. Even if Garen was the Cobalt Knight, it did not change the fact that he was a Demacian, right? "… You have a minute." The Exile could not see it, but Garen's relief let a genuine smile slip out of his stern complexion.

"Thank you. This way, please." Garen was a very systematic man. When Riven had given him a minute, he will prepare a minute's worth and nothing longer. His movements were well planned and not a single inch of movement was wasted on his way to his table. The Exile, on the other hand, stumble as she awkwardly nudged past hungry summoners despite her more petite figure compared to the man in front of her. What made the venture worse was that Garen's table the last in the far row. The two must have passed two dozen tables filled with suspicious eyes watching the rare occurrence of a Demacian and Noxian walking together.

When the two finally arrived, Riven felt less at ease than she would at a table of summoners. The table was decorated by trims of blue, gold, and Demacian engraved placemats, even the utensils had not escaped the wrath of Demacian branding. Garen sat casually on the other side of the table, eyeing the Exile to take her seat. Hesitantly, the Exile hovered her tray over the Demacian branded table and sat at the edge of her seat as if it were poisonous the wooden bench was poisonous to the touch. Again, the Exile could not find it within her to look at Garen, but such awkwardness did not seem apparent for the Demacian.

"I apologize for what my sister had done, whatever it may have been," the Might of Demacia's stern exterior seemed to crack, showing the weak creases of worry. "I hope you find it within you to find forgiveness for my sister."

The Exile twirled her fork to the best of her ability, which just so happens to be none, as she listened to the Demacian. The fork tipped from the edge of her finger and descended to the tainted ground; it was beyond redemption. After a bit of silence, the Exile finally responded. "You seem to care a lot for your sister if you're willing to apologize to a Noxian." She muttered.

"I try to, despite some allegations." Garen coughed, adjusting himself into a more relaxed position. "So will you?"

Riven sighed as she attempted to handle her food with just a spoon. "Why do you care?" The Demacian's company seemed to be feeding the Exile seeing as all she had done with her slops of meat was making a swirling crater. The rhythmic twists of her finger seemed to set her at ease seeing her heart no longer tensed at sight of the Demacian. She dragged her eyes to meet the Demacian's but instead of the stern and just exterior she was welcomed with uneasy eyes.

At first, Riven was astonished to see a side that most people would have never seen from Garen, but it was this minor thing that melted away the ice that shrouded her mind. Although she still was reluctant to sit with a Demacian, at least she did not feel like she was committing treason.

After a few moments in thought, Garen finally replied. "I fear that my sister may not have many friends." He admitted, swallowing up his family pride. "For the longest time, Lux has been alone, studying. Even in the military there were no rooms for friends. Ever since she joined the League I fear that she may be trying too hard to make friends." The Demacian explained, attempting to sound sincere but came across as scolding to an invisible sister. "If possible, I'd like for her to make friends with you."

Riven sat dumbfounded, listening as the Might of Demacia spew words that most people she knew would be stoned in public for, and here a shining exemplar of the Demacian army spoke of such heresy. "You want a Noxian to befriend a Demacian? You are out of your mind." She scoffed, pushing her tray away in disgust, but her ears remained dazzled and wanted to hear more.

Garen remained unfazed by the Exile's retort. He was not a man that would blurt nonsensical ideals without examining the repercussions. "I could not be a proper brother for her before, and I still cannot. This is the most I can do for her."

Riven looked to the once proud Demacian again, peeling away the layers looking for the core of deceit to his words, but found a pained pit. It truly was a man repenting a shame that many turned a blind eye to. He held a painful expression that was incompatible with his physique, enough for the Exile to turn away. She ditched her tray for her stomach was now filled with pain and guilt. A bitter taste lingered in the back of her throat crawling out like a tarantula that craved the light. Without a word, she made haste for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Garen asked as he rose from his seat. Some summoners nearby whose ears have a tendency to be where they shouldn't shifted to face the outburst.

"The minute's over." Riven replied.

****And that's all for now! Next chapter some Lux, and stuff. As always, thanks for reading and reviews are welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I SO DID NOT FORGET NASUS. I was just waiting for this chapter to introduce him, ha ha. Anyways, the _Riven arc is somewhat at its middle point and_ next chapter is where it 'should' be more action packed, or something like that. [EDIT] I've been rethinking about having different arcs, but seeing how long I may have the Riven arc be, it kind of discourages me from adding other arcs. I suppose I'll leave that to you guys. The upcoming arcs, whether it'll be included in this story or be an entirely separate one, who knows?

Champions among Legends Chapter Three: Who are you?

The day that followed was bleak to say the least. The once blue saturated sky was overlapped by shades of grey foreboding an incoming shower. The Exile slept in, the bitter aftertaste of her reverie and her conversation with Garen the day before still lingered. She crawled to a mirror that hanged tilted on the wall adjacent to her. The face that lied on the other side had a face defined by guilt and doubt with long locks of white attempting to conceal it, but all Riven could see was a shatter wall.

Tired, she hauled her pale green spaulder onto her shoulder and wrapped herself with her usual outfit and headed out. She still bore the weight of yesterday's conversation and wondered what to do with the knowledge given to her. Knowing Lux, however, she'd probably just act like nothing had happened and force more conversations.

Riven was unsure of where to go today. She felt like everything that was once familiar had only worn a comforting mask. Now that she has a giant blade cleaved through her chest, her eyes seem to see a whole new world, one defined in a spectrum of colours that could not be perceived by human eyes.

Before she decided to lock herself in the room for the whole duration of the day, remnants of last night still left a distinguished trail that her mind was tempted to follow. Regardless of what she told herself, somehow the afterthought with the conversation with Garen seemed to convince her to talk to Lux. She sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose; a strange premonition told her that it wouldn't be a good idea. She was quite conflicted, pacing back and forth in the hallways, but eventually the tide ebbed towards looking for Lux, despite the possible repercussions she may face for willingly socialize with a Demacian.

It wouldn't be hard finding the bubbly blonde (to begin with there wasn't even that much blondes in the institute), there was something that separated her from the rest. In some sort of way, the situation reminded Riven that Lux was the same. She laughed at the possibility at the irony but she could feel the guilt swell at her throat, contesting her breathing. She sped up her pace before the thought suffocated her.

Riven searched to and fro but she did not find the blonde that once surfaced at nearly every corridor. Somehow, she felt irritated with this knowledge and refused to accept it. Just as she was about to give up her front brushed past a familiar figure as turned on a corridor.

"I-I'm sorry," Lux stuttered, gathering herself as she tried to slide away from Riven's vision. The Exile caught up with the Demacian, reaching for her slippery hand. She squeaked as the Exile's firm grasp controlled her arm as her eyes set upon its confines.

"I need to talk to you," Riven said, her voice tempered with annoyance. She soon regretted her tone as she realized that Lux was as frightened as a child who learned that they had just wronged but what was done was done. "One minute." Her glare felt sharp enough to leave the Demacian silent. Lux could only respond with a slightly higher, but agreeing, squeak. Riven dragged the girl to a more isolated corner, one in which not many prying eyes or wandering ears may be found.

Once Riven felt comfortable enough with her location she loosened her iron grip on the Demacian's hand and looked straight at Lux's eyes. "Your brother talked to me yesterday." Lux's eyes widened the instant mention of her brother. Riven was unsure whether or not it reassured the girl or not but she did not care. "I may have been… too… harsh, and I apologize." She murmured, her eyes losing contact. "But you… you didn't have to be so hurt about it."

Lux was taken aback for the Exile's blunt words but tried her best to keep up a wavering smile. "I'm sorry, I really am," Lux said in a tone devoid of her usual bubbly voice.

"Don't say sorry, I said it's my fault," Riven said, intervening the monotonous tone of the Demacian.

"I'm sorry‑-." Riven's eyes pierced the blonde's eyes, gulping the fear that swept her. She pressed her lips together before she could say anything else that would bother the Exile. In Lux's eyes, however, the Exile felt it saying sorry. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to let the wave of air flush her temper before she tried to speak once again.

This time, Riven searched her mind for proper words, a place in her mind that she never treaded. In this place of mind, a large well-built figure with a stoic gaze and cobalt armour stood before her. His chiseled features shifted in a small smile that kindled a part of her chest that had been left unlit for so long. When she opened her eyes, a calming wave seemed to have brushed past her copper skin leaving a gentle breeze that swept both her body and mind. "Listen, Lux. You have been… a different kind of company." Being in calmer territory felt like walking on burning charcoal for the Exile. She stumbled for the correct words to say, but even to her they seem to come across as ill-strung words.

"I'd like for her to make friends with you." The words echoed within the Exile's head, dispersing the embers of charcoals her mind had tried to maneuver. She clenched her fist mustering the words to say. "Let's try to…"

"Be friends?" Lux interrupted, her voice piqued with excitement; her once dim eyes had sparked as she had said this. She leaned close, anticipating the Exile to agree, with an idiotically cute grin on her face.

"Essentially…" Before Riven could react, Lux had gone through a sporadic change to her person. She reached for the Exile's hand, her gentle and fair skin felt like soft silk enveloping her thick copper tinted palms. The unexpected warmth felt like a new experience, or an old one that she had forgotten.

Lux giggled, the sudden flow of friendship had eradicated any remorse she once had; it was hard to believe that the blonde who held such a firm grip on the Exile's hand once lamented on her outburst of insensitive kindness. _This girl… she wasn't pretending to be hurt, was she?_ Lux's happiness was difficult for Riven to register but somehow she managed to purchase a slight grin that cracked her stiff cheeks that were too used to frowning.

"I know! Let's go the library. We like, totally need to read together!" Lux cheered, tugging the Exile playfully. "You like reading, right? I see you reading by yourself quite frequently. Not that I watch you or anything."

"I don't particularly enjoy reading… I just enjoy certain stories," Riven explained, slightly disturbed at Lux's truthful slip up. The Exile wasn't quite sure how friends, or acquaintances for that matter, interacted but she could be sure that with this unintentional confession wouldn't make a good start.

Lux began to tug even more. "It's fine! Come on, Nasus just updated the library!" Her voice piqued with excitement, eager to bolster her newly developed friendship; perhaps too excited.

Riven stiffened upon hearing Nasus' name. Every time she went to go check the library for new editions, she would make sure that Nasus wasn't caring for the library as the head librarian. Confronting a face that she would confront on the battlefield somehow rekindled memories of being in the army and what happened afterwards. Nasus in particular was someone she could live without.

Despite her fear of the Curator of the Sands, Riven found herself drafted by Lux's cheerfulness. Lux happily skipped humming a cheerful tune to the library with Riven dragging her feet in tow.

* * *

The doors to the library were rather old compared to the rest of the institute, or perhaps it was more neglected. As the wooden doors opened its mouth a loud stifled yawn brushed past the two girls' senses. Riven was a bit of regular to the library, but no matter how often she opened the doors, a shiver managed to surge through her. Perhaps it was a summoner's spell to keep the readers of the library quiet.

At the center of the library was a strange looking mongrel showered in golden plates, Nasus. Even from afar, his stoic yet intellectual eyes were detectable. His studious gaze was just a small portion of the scholar's intimidating aura but such field was undetectable to the bubbly blonde.

"Hiya, Nasus." Lux chimed. Nasus's focus remained on his page, his fingers caressing the edge of the page. Once the Curator flipped the page he brought his gaze to meet the Demacian, his eyes as studious and monotonous as ever.

"Greetings, Lady of Luminousity; as to you Exile." The Curator's voice seemed to flow like poetry, his voice drafted in a way of melody but filled with monotony. Compared to Lux's voice, they sounded like complete opposites. "Have you come to browse the recent texts?" He blinked; his courtesy to ask questions overcame his common sense. "Of course you did, come." He rose from his chair and headed eastern towards the towering shelves. The two headed shortly afterwards.

Lux's eyes traced over the various titles that occupied the shelves, most of them she had already read. Nonetheless, she was quite enthralled being surrounded with knowledge; being in the company with a friend seemed to make an entire difference.

Riven on the other hand took long cautious warrior steps, treading carefully but powerfully. Old habits die hard. The sound of her soles clashing with the hard marble flooring haunted her. The steps reminded her of the sound they had once made as she fled from the poisonous smog on stone pavement. She dug her toes into her sandals, hoping it would help suppress the sound but it only strained herself.

"Here," Nasus announced suddenly. Riven, whose mind had fallen back to the past, didn't react to the abrupt stop, bumping into the blonde ahead of her. Lux returned a reassuring smile: a silent forgiveness, before returning her attention back to Nasus. "I am unsure if these texts are prevalent to your tastes, but these are the only ones the summoners managed to stock." He nodded, afterwards changing his sight to Riven. "My librarian speaks highly of you, Exile."

Riven almost ignored the comment if it weren't for the palpable gaze the Curator set on her. "Is that so?" She asked. Her words nearly inaudible as she held her voice deep under her breath. For someone with heightened hearing such as Nasus, her words were as clear as hearing a summoner in your head.

"Indeed. An intrepid reader of heroes righting the erroneous ways of evil, it seems to me." Nasus commented. His voice was somehow filled with an echo that seemed to only resonate in her ears. This was the voice of the enlightened. Even hearing his voice seemed to lift her into higher knowledge despite not learning anything. "But I would not know for sure, would I?" His tone seemed to insinuate a joking manner, but his expression remained stoic and still. Riven nodded mechanically, unsure whether or not she was agreeing or the Curator's enchanting voice was stringing her like a marionette.

"But you know there are things I do know about you, Exile." This time, Nasus spoke in a more daunting tone. His already well toned figure began to expand, almost like a translucent veil that obstructed each edge of the Exile's vision. But for some reason, these words did not seem directed towards her.

"And that would be…?" Riven inquired, tempting Nasus' knowledge; unbeknownst to her the lethality of a scholar's words. For a split second, the Exile could see the faint outline of a sadistic smile but the lack of contrast that accentuated the towering figure's expression could not provide proper analysis.

"More than you know of yourself." The Curator replied, his tone rolled as he spoke in this elongated sentence. Lux was too busy browsing and pacing around the shelves of new texts to offer support to the Exile. If Riven couldn't have thought up of a reason to avoid the Curator before, she did now. "I know what is in your head." The shadowy figure of the Curator grew larger and larger, blotting out the light the few candles in the library provided, as it devoured the space between the two. "I know what you fear."

Illusions of familiar purple smog began to coat the floors. Like a snake, the smog began to wrap itself around the legs of the cowering Exile, squeezing her in her own illusionary prison. Once the head of the smoke reached her face it dug straight into her mouth, burrowing its being to her lungs. She tried to keep the gap between her and Nasus large but the Curator would not let her. Her back found contact with the rigid wood of bookshelves. There was nowhere to run. Not in the physical world and not in the mental world.

Nasus hovered over the petrified Riven with an eerie glow in his eyes that seemed to taunt the darkness that surrounded it. After a short silence, the Curator spoke once again. "You have been broken by the cruelties of the world." His words were spears being stuffed down her throat along with a poisonous snake and Riven did nothing to reciprocate her injuries. "I've read of your history once. T'was a Noxian book I had read." He closed his eyes, dispersing the only light that touched Riven's vision letting the silence and darkness harmonize. "You are nothing compare to the you of the past."

Riven clenched her fist as another fragment of her past surged through her: rage. She swallowed the snake and spear with her nails piercing her own flesh. Despite wanting to lash out at the dog with crueler words, the Exile could not find her voice. She wanted to whip her fist at the Curator's face but her muscles became weights that would not budge. Instead, her eyes became her weapons, a weak one at that.

The Curator of Sands was amused at the change of emotions. "But there is nothing wrong with that." This time, he spoke in a more sincere tone while holding the same monotonous pitch. Riven's brows rose, but her eyes still bled with indignation.

It was at this time that Lux finished browsing. From a completely different section of the library she appeared with books aplenty. "Ha ha~ sorry that took a while. There were a couple of old books I haven't read in the corner there and I like, had to read them." Her smile was a sight for Riven's sore eyes. Somehow, just with Lux's presence, the Exile's anger drained away in the heat of her tears and lifted the weights that prevented injuring Nasus. "So, what did I miss?" The Demacian asked, setting the tower of books down on a nearby desk.

"The Exile and I just had a conversation." The Curator had turned his back on the Exile. The gold that adorned his body shed free from the darkness returning back to less daunting appearance, almost as if he had never loomed over the Exile a few seconds earlier.

Lux skimmed through the various titles she had stacked on the lonely table, caressing the spines of the books with her index as she read them. At the last title, Lux's eyes widened. "Oh no, I think I may have left a book behind… I'll be right back!" Before the Exile could say anything, the blonde was off back into the obscurities. She turned back to face the Curator. His figure was unchanged but she'd rather not stick around for when it did.

"Tell me, Exile." In almost a blink of an eye, the Curator was within breathing width, reassuming the position he once had before he was interrupted. This time, the Exile did not fear him. "What do you live for?" He asked. There was no gimmick this time, his being remained absolute. Perhaps it was fear that distorted his being; an illusion like the poison that dug into her.

Riven wiped the burning residue of her tears. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Nasus turned away. "What is justice?" He asked, ignoring the Exile's question. "What is your justice?"

The Exile stared blankly at the Curator's rigid back. "What are you asking for?" She asked sharply.

"I am asking: who are you now?" Nasus turned around again, this time his expression held a bit of remorse. The creases of his frown were strange inhabitants to the Curator's face.

"I… am me, am I not?" Riven replied, her voice heavily weighted with doubt. "Right…?" Why was she so unsure?

Nasus could read the Exile's doubt, his frown digging deeper. "So it may seem, but at the same time not."

"I am me, but not me?" Riven asked, her voice trailed with slight irritation. The words Nasus spoke reminded her off how the summoners who surveyed her anointment as a champion's string of words.

"Tell me, Riven. Why have you joined the League…?"

This crap again? Was there a summoner nearby tapping into her brain? She reached for her runic blade but instead grabbed a taunting air. The Exile looked around for Lux. Where was she? The only person that she could see was Nasus, almost as if nothing else existed. Perhaps her broken state was playing tricks on her again…

"Remind myself why you have joined the League." Nasus echoed, his voice progressively sounding more desperate than the last. His eyes desperately dug at Riven, craving for an answer.

"I want to…" Her voice edged with the same desperation but for some reason could not reach for the words that meant her entire life. "I…" Her fingers trembled. Was this why the Nasus or the summoners are testing her? To beseech her to find what she came here for? She knew why she was here, what she lived for, yet why could she say it? Why could she not say she wanted to fight for Noxus on her own terms?

_"Because I am no longer a Noxian."_ These words rang in her head like a church bell in an atheist city. "No…" Riven choked.

_"Noxus is dead."_ Her breathing became more ragged. She desperately searched herself for her blade, but it was nowhere to be found. Nasus watched as the girl tried desperately to pick up her broken parts, but was reminded of his own past.

_"What am I fighting for?"_ Her fingers shook uncontrollably as reached out for her own neck.

"Riven, are you okay?" A deep voice called out to the broken Exile. She turned her head to face the voice to see a man decorated in cobalt and blue. She reached out for the figure but her legs could not support her desperate act. Tears streamed down in her face. She begged for the man to save her. "Riven!" This time, the voice was that of a girl. The Exile looked back up to face the mutating voice only to see that the man had been replaced with Lux. "Oh gods, are you okay? Nasus! What happened?" Lux wrapped her arm under the Exile's underarm helping her back up. The weight proved to be too much for her but she managed to help the Exile on a nearby stool.

"I… do not know." His voice rescinded back to monotony.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! I'll go take her to her chambers; can you leave my books aside for later? I'll pick them up in a bit." She pitched her feet as she struggled to place the crumbling Exile on her back.

"I will," Nasus replied, piling up Lux's books. Lux nodded with a worried smile before she slowly dragged the Exile to the doors.

Riven held desperately on the girl begging not to fall again. A strange urge begged her to turn around. Nasus was there, she didn't want to face him but she ended up doing so.

"Don't forget who you are," Nasus said before turning his head away.

The door shut, filling the room not with a roar, but a whimper.

Nasus placed the books on the side of the checkout counter before he would go back to reorganizing the books. The old lady, the other librarian who had given the book approached the Curator. "Was that the right thing to do, champion?" The old lady asked.

"She was lost, I am merely helping her find the path back," Nasus replied. He stood dead in his tracks, as if doubting his own intentions.

"Champion Riven is not like your brother, champion." The old lady said. Her voice was not like the woman who Riven had often conversed with inside the library. It was the enthralling voice of a summoner.

"I know."

"Shall I still look over her, champion?"

Nasus did not reply.

**Kat or Darius is-a-coming next chapter! As always, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review. I don't have an editor so if you spot out mistakes, PM me or something, or don't.


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